Writings on Juneteenth and its Significance for American Liberty

Today, is Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery – the greatest triumph of freedom in American history. In this post, I compile some links to my writings relevant to the holiday and its significance. All are posts published here on the Volokh Conspiracy blog, unless otherwise noted. Much of this is reprinted from last year’s Juneteenth post. But I have added some new material.

“Juneteenth and the Universalist Principles of the American Revolution,” June 19, 2021. This post explains how abolition was a fulfillment rather than a repudiation of the principles of the American Revolution, despite attempts of some on both right and left to claim otherwise.

“Reflections on Juneteenth,” June 19, 2024. This post extends and elaborates on the points made in the 2021 post, and condemns the lame culture war over the holiday.

“Slavery, the Declaration of Independence and Frederick Douglass’ ‘What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?'”, July 4, 2020. Douglass’s famous speech sheds light on some of America’s greatest evils – but also on the great good done by the Revolution and Founding. This post – and Douglass’s speech – are not about Juneteenth, as such. But they are obviously relevant. Douglass rightly argued that the principles of the Revolution required the abolition of slavery – while also condemning the hypocrisy of the many white Americans who claimed otherwise.

“The Case Against the Case Against the American Revolution,” July 4, 2019. A rebuttal to longstanding arguments – advanced by critics on both right and left – that the Revolution did more harm than good. The claim that the Revolution somehow set back abolition is a central argument of many of those critics. I explain why that argument is wrong.

“Slavery and Birthright Citizenship,” Lawfare, Mar. 16, 2026. Article on the relationship between the abolition of slavery and the Birthright Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and its implications for the birthright citizenship case currently before the Supreme Court.

“Why George Mason is Extremely Underrated,” Reason, June 16, 2026 (symposium on “1776 All-Stars”). Article on  a leading Founding Father, including his somewhat internally contradictory attitudes towards slavery and record on that issue.